As exactly the time when Europe actually could prove its credibility and make it visible for the whole world, EU institutions have buried themselves in a trench war over the election of their new leadership.

EU member states risk plunging the blog into an "institutional crisis," should they decide to abandon the Spitzenkandidat process of selecting the next President of the European Commission, a senior EPP source has told EURACTIV.

In his usual straightforward manner, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has disclosed that French President Emmanuel Macron has consulted him this week to prepare the summit on 28 May when the future EU top jobs will be discussed for the first time.

French President Emmanuel Macron invited German chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to join a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next Tuesday (26 March), in a bid to forge a united front in European efforts to rebalance relations with Beijing.

The EU will give Chinese leaders a comprehensive list of demands next month to address the growing “frustration” among Europeans, and to improve bilateral cooperation as it reaches a critical junction, various senior EU officials explained on Wednesday (20 March).

Most EU leaders accepted on Friday (23 February) that they will add more funds to the EU budget after 2020, but European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that funds for farmers and cohesion would still be reduced.

Poland's newly appointed Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will attend his first European summit in Brussels on Thursday (14 December), where leaders and policymakers hope he will be more cooperative than his predecessor Beata Szydło, who resigned this week.

Despite France’s concerns about an EU-Mercosur deal, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted on Friday (20 October) on reaching an agreement by the end of this year because it is “the most important” trade deal for Europe.

EU leaders wound up two-days of high-level talks in Brussels on Friday (20 October). Digital single market, migration, defence, but also Catalonia and Turkey, were discussed on Thursday. On Brexit, the leaders welcomed 'some progress' in the talks, but said it was not enough to move to phase two, postponing that assessment for December.

Right, left or centre? In preparation for his first EU summit as president of France, Emmanuel Macron has chosen not to throw his lot in with any political family. He has his own strategy and expectations are high all round. EURACTIV France reports.

The leaders of seven Southern European countries will meet in Madrid on Monday (10 April) to scrutinise the consequences of Brexit and discuss their vision for the future of the European Union. EURACTIV Spain reports.

The leaders of the European Union delivered a withering snub to Poland's right-wing government on Thursday (9 March) by disregarding its objections and reappointing former Polish premier Donald Tusk to chair their summits.

The two leaders wielding the most influence over the outcome of today’s European Council aren’t even from the EU. The spectre of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump loomed large over the summit in Brussels.

British Prime Minister Theresa May today (21 October) insisted that EU leaders’ response to Moscow’s bombing of Aleppo was a success, as Russian warships passed through the English Channel on their way to Syria.

The government of Wallonia last night (20 October) rejected the latest offer made by the European Commission in a bid to unblock the stalled ratification process of the EU-Canada free trade deal before the ‘hot potato’ passes to the EU leaders later on Friday.